Crystal
The Winged Dragon of Ra flew over the Port of Piraeus screeching in agony. He flapped his massive golden wings, flashing brightly in the light of the sun that peered through a thick curtain of black storm clouds. The Winged Dragon let out a sorrowful roar diving up and down and sometimes splashing in the water.
Crystal Anderson stared in wonder at the divine creature flying over the harbor. She felt the blast of wind coming from his gigantic wingbeats. Up ahead, standing near the water was her former friend, Ren. He was dressed in a clean black suit and tie. His spiky, anime-styled hair waved in the gentle wind.
"It's okay," he said, without even looking at Crystal. "There are some who think he's nothing but a high-definition hologram. Thank goodness it's stormy today. Otherwise, there'd be no way of explaining the wind he's causing."
Crystal said nothing. Even though there was a part of her that was happy to see Ren again, she was still plenty mad about the way he lied to her about Yuri's death and leaving her alone for so many months.
"Still not talking to me?" Ren asked, eyes still gazed at the Winged Dragon of Ra.
The Divine Beast made another sorrowful bellow before it soared into the clouds. Crystal stepped forward, slowly. "What is that?" she asked, but very sternly. She stood by his side at last. The wind pushed her sweet perfume into his nose. He also got a whiff of sunblock that was no doubt rubbed all over her skin. Ren peered from the corner of his eye and admired her spring-green summer dress patterned with pink flowers. Her summer straw hat shielded her cheeks from the burning sun.
"It's called a God Card," Ren answered. "The most powerful monsters to ever be created in my world. They are the sons of the chief goddess. Horakhty. Wield one and you can destroy a million armies. Wield all three, and the whole world trembles before you. They obey the High Kings of Termnnia. Yuri was a High King."
"Before he died?" said Crystal.
Ren remained quiet and cleared his throat.
"What is it doing here?" Crystal asked. "He sounds sad."
"Something bad must have happened back home," said Ren. "But why are you here? Didn't you and your friends catch a flight back to Aquarius?"
"I was about to go on," said Crystal. "Until I decided to fix my deck and found this!" She reached into her purse. She pulled out a card shielded in a hard plastic sleeve to keep it from wrinkling up.
"I thought so," Ren said, tilting his head down so he could see the Winged Dragon of Ra card over his sunglasses. "Loxley must have given it to you. Last I recall, he was the one who used it against me when we Dueled."
"You guys have a knack of putting targets on my back," said Crystal. She folded her arms sternly over her chest. "First I'm chased down because I'm born from some egg. Then because I'm near a Titan as it was called. Now I have this. I thought you idiots wanted me to be safe."
"You are," said Ren. "For now. Those assassins suffered a horrible defeat. It's going to take them forever to recover from the devastating losses they received last night. They don't have the time or the resources to come after you. Plus, you've denied your destiny, so it's not like they have much to do with your prospect. So long as you remain stubborn and refuse your gift, they won't bother coming after you. Especially not in the state they're in now."
"Just who were they?" said Crystal.
"They were Queens once," said Ren. "The fairest and greatest rulers of Men. Until the Dark Lord Anubis corrupted them and turned them into phantoms of their former selves. Their souls have been destroyed; their bodies are broken. Meaning they are nothing more than empty shells. They are neither living nor dead. They exist and at the same time, they don't. If destroyed, and believe me; that is no easy feat, they fade into nothing."
Crystal grimaced upon hearing their fate. "What must it be like to turn into nothing?" she asked. "What it must feel to be nothing?"
"So befalls their fate should they not choose another path," said Ren.
"Whatever," said Crystal. "Just what in the hell are you doing here? I thought you'd be leaving, too."
"No. My business in Greece is far from finished. I'm looking for someone. A girl by the name of Melody." Ren reached into his pocket and handed Crystal the wallet-sized dossier on the girl.
"She's pretty," said Crystal. "But what importance does she hold to you?"
"I'm assembling a team," said Ren. "There's a fell power here that needs checking into. I'm going to need the best Duelists."
"And that's why you want her?" Crystal asked.
"That I do, Crystal. She's one of the best."
"Ren, no offense but she's a nobody. There are plenty of high-ranking Duelists in Greece. I'm sure they'd make better candidates than her."
"Not her," said Ren, flashing a great big smile. "She's the best Termnnian Greece has to offer."
Crystal felt as though someone hit her in the solar plexus. "Say what? You mean there's more?"
"Yup. She's the daughter of a Termnnian noble and a student at Duelist Academy.."
"So what's she doing all the way out here?"
"She's on break for the summer holidays and is visiting her grandparents."
"How is that even possible?" Crystal asked, looking back at the dossier. "To come and go between worlds as they please?"
"Those with the money can afford to escape our world via magical portals called Gates. They grow weary of the wars, monsters, dark lords, and Orcs. So they seek a quieter life in this plain world. Melody's family fled the Great War hundreds of years ago and made a living here in Athens. You'd be surprised how many Termnnians you'll find here and across the globe."
Crystal pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed heavily. "The world made so much sense before I came on this trip," the poor girl groaned. "I just wanted to celebrate my twenty-first birthday and tour my favorite country in the world. Instead, I learn my best friend is dead, I have a God in my deck, and I'm born from a dragon."
"Life sucks," said Ren. "But that's the way it is. This is who you are Crystal."
"Ren, I can't. Mr. Montgomery entrusted the company to me. It meant so much to him. I can't just abandon it."
"I know," said Ren. "But I'm not here to pressure you into coming back to Termnnia with us. I just need these Duelists. These next few days are going to decide the fate of both this world and our world."
"What's that supposed to mean? You can't seriously be saying your people are coming back here to cause a ruckus, are you?"
Ren nodded. "It's hard to explain standing here. Let's have some lunch. There's a lot I have to tell you. And if you ask me, I think it's time the Winged Dragon of Ra went back to his card before people start getting suspicious. Those Tactical Illusionists should be coming here to clean up their memories pretty soon. And I don't think that Meloni guy is going to be very happy to see your face again."
"Yeah, but, how do I call the dragon back?" Crystal asked. "I've never done this before. And you said only the High Kings of your world can use them. Ren, I'm not even earthly royalty. Being a trillionaire doesn't count, I'm sure."
"Loxley gave you the card for a reason," said Ren. "Just hold it up and wish for it to come back. And do it fast."
Crystal held the Winged Dragon of Ra card as high as she could. "What do I say? Return? Be gone? Or something?"
"Just hang on," said Ren.
The Winged Dragon of Ra, who was far out at sea, stopped. He opened his wings used his feet to break into a halt. He turned and flew towards Crystal and Ren.
"R-Ren!" Crystal whined.
"Don't be scared," said Ren holding out his right arm in front of her. "I think he knows you."
"He's getting closer," Crystal groaned. Her legs quivered as though she were in an earthquake. A trickle of urine went down her leg. She started to sob, unable to control her fear. "Ren! I can't do this!"
"Yes, you can!" said Ren. "I'm beginning to see another reason why the Assassins aren't coming to visit you anytime soon. The Winged Dragon of Ra is here to protect you. That's why Loxley gave it to you."
"He looks like he's coming here to kill me," said Crystal.
The Winged Dragon of Ra came close at last. He was over a hundred meters tall and his wings spread over the hills and houses that overlooked the waters of the port. Crystal's breathing grew heavy. Her body was covered in perspiration. Some drops turned milky white when mixing with the sunblock she applied earlier. The Winged Dragon of Ra gave a mighty roar that sounded like a metallic elephant followed by the low-haunting moan of a whale. Crystal wanted to run but somehow found the fortitude to remain where she was despite gazing up at the towering beast of solid gold.
Ra looked at Crystal with his sky-blue eyes and snarled momentarily before crossing his arms over his chest. Amazingly, the creature bowed and transformed into a light the color of molten silver and glittering lights like the stars above. It slithered into the card Crystal held in her hands. The Winged Dragon of Ra was gone but left one last mark in the dimension. He turned the card case that protected his card from dull, clear plastic to engraved gold.
"Wh-what just happened?" Crystal asked, still trembling from her experience with a God Card.
Ren took off his sunglasses and sniggered. "You didn't think a God Card would allow himself to be carried in such a meager plastic case. Obviously, he wanted more proper accommodations."
"Well that's stupefyingly pretentious," Crystal said looking at the card and its new extravagant casing.
"Baby, you don't know that half of it," Ren said, hanging his sunglasses on the black shirt underneath his blazer. "So, lunch?"
"Yeah, sure." Crystal groaned still frozen in shock. "But first let's stop at the mall. I need to buy some new underwear."
Ren stuffed his hands in the pockets of his blazer and walked away laughing.
Crystal collected herself and went after him. "Stop laughing asshole! It's not funny."
"You still mad at me?" Ren asked as he poured Crystal a glass of wine to compliment the honey-roasted pork she ordered. The restaurant they sat in gave them a breathtaking view of the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill. For Crystal, it would have been a wonderful sight, had it not been for the fact she was facing a demon from the Shadow Realm the night before. Almost all her best dragons were destroyed in that match. Had it not been for the lucky draw that got her to summon Trident Dragon, she feared she would not be in this lovely spot today.
She turned her gaze away from the Acropolis and looked at Ren. "Nothing you can do or say can make me forgive you for lying to me, Ren."
"It's been almost a year," said Ren. "Not a word. No letter or phone call. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you with Yuri's death."
Crystal rolled her eyes.
"Crystal, I did it with the best intentions."
"The best intentions?" Crystal almost yelled. "Fuck you!"
"You're gonna get us thrown out," Ren warned her, doing what he could to calm her.
"Whatever," said Crystal. "You're back. Yuri's dead! Let's just get on with our business, shall we?"
After leaving the restaurant, Ren and Crystal walked throughout the city looking for Melody. Ren texted to her no avail, but thankfully she responded moments later telling them she was in the Plaka District. Finding her was going to be hard with the floods of tourists flocking about. The sun beamed down on them relentlessly. Ren started to sweat in his suit, eventually taking off his blazer. He unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled them up.
They searched and searched until they heard someone playing guitar in an alleyway. There was a healthy crowd surrounding the musician playing it. A chorus of cheers, glees of affection, and whistling erupted from them. Ren and Crystal waited for the crowd to shrink before pressing forward. There was a girl sitting against the wall. Her light-brown hair was tied into a high ponytail. Two skinny bangs waved two-and-fro over her angelic face adorned with icy blue eyes.
A baby blue tank top and ripped jeans helped her combat the heat as she sang her song about a beautiful nymph being harassed by two mischievous angels looking to take her golden headband. Eventually, Zeus interfered and turned her into a cloud to hide her from them. A tattoo could be seen on her right shoulder. A winged shield with two crossed swords behind it. For Crystal, it looked oddly familiar.
The girl's guitar was white and engraved with floral and curved designs. It was even decorated in 24 karat gold.
The case was open to allow tips to be thrown in. She played the guitar well, but it was not she who was the star of the show. A Duel Monster called Rinyan Lightsworn Rogue was dancing to the music. It was a small cat-like creature that had snowy-white fur and green-blue eyes. A gold band was wrapped around the end of its tail with gold strands that jingled. The insides of its ears were bright pink, and the tips protruded into whip-like appendages. They were white in the bottom half but started to glow bright yellow as they took the shape of lightning bolts. A gold necklace hung around the creature's neck, also jingling as the cat creature stood on its hind legs and danced to the tango its master was playing.
Rinyan stood on its hind legs, elegantly placing one foot before the other. It held out its arms, tilting them up and down with each step as if walking on a tightrope.
"Aww, how cute!" said Crystal. "Is that thing real?"
"I sure as hell hope it's not," said Ren. "She could get into serious trouble with our government."
Rinyan playfully dodged anyone who tried to touch it. And it did so in a way that was so perfect no one felt bad. They just loved the creature even more. The girl had her custom Duel Disk sitting on a wooden crate. It looked like it was projecting the creature dancing to the girl's music. But Ren knew deep down that Rinyan was no hologram.
"Melody?" he eventually said.
The girl looked up and waved at him. She finished singing her song, to which she got a loud and joyful applause. She thanked the crowd for coming and promised she would be back soon. Once they all left, she gathered the money she earned before she packed her guitar back in its case.
"That's a beautiful guitar," said Crystal.
"Thanks," Melody said, closing it and locking it tight. "My grandfather made it for me." The girl looked at Ren and gave a mischievous smirk. "Ren," said Melody. "Long time no see."
"Yeah, it sure has been a long time," Ren said, rubbing the back of his neck. His fingers sliding over his flesh from the sweat. "How have you been?"
"Same old, same old," Melody said, allowing Rinyan to hop on her shoulder. She fed the monster with a cube of cheese that she kept in a chilled lunch box.
"That thing is no hologram is it?" Crystal asked.
Riynan grabbed the cheese from Melody's hand and brought it to its mouth to nibble on it.
"Nope!" Melody said with a pop.
"How did you manage to hide it all this time?" Ren asked. "If the Bureau of the Gate gets wind of this…"
"Shut up, Ren," Melody said with a shake of her head. "You worry too much."
"Of that, we can agree on," said Crystal. "So, Ren tells me you're from Termnnia."
"Yeah. I am," said Melody. "My father is the Baron of Freyden in Emboldor." She shrugged. "Not like you would know what it is though."
Ren was about to speak, but Crystal politely intervened, holding up a hand to stay his words. "If I may," she said. Ren shrugged and backed off. "Melody. That tattoo on your shoulder." She showed her the music box pendant Yuri gave her. "It looks just like this pendant. Yuri gave this to me. What does it mean?"
Melody smiled when she saw the gold trinket around Crystal's neck. "That's the symbol of Narmondülus Elliartum. The Champion of the Goddesses. All great heroes wear that symbol into battle. I got this etched on my shoulder to honor my brother who's in the Royal Guard. A position only for the noblest and wealthiest of knights if you don't mind me saying so."
Crystal was puzzled and scratched her head. "If you belong to such nobility, what are you doing all the way out here playing guitar for a few meager tips?"
"I'm here for the summer to visit my grandparents," said Melody. "And just so you know, the money's not for me. It's for them. Anyways, it was a bit of a shock for my folks to realize they were Termnnians and the inheritors of a vast fortune and wide lands. They left; my grandma and grandpa didn't. They may have Termnnian blood in their veins, but they love Greece too much to leave it. I may be a nobleborn girl, but that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon my grandparents because of it."
Crystal waved her hands. "All right, all right. I can respect that. No need to get haughty, Melody. I meant no disrespect."
"Well, enough about me," said Melody. "You say you need me to join you for some quest."
"Yes," said Ren. "And we need to find the rest of the team."
"Team?" Crystal groaned. "They wouldn't by any chance be Termnnian, too, would they?" Crystal looked at Ren as she asked this.
Ren looked at her and winked.
Crystal scoffed and placed her knuckles on her hips. "Oh wow."
Ren found her reaction humorous and puffed his amusement out of his nose. "So will you join my team, Melody?"
"Quid pro quo, Ren," Melody said wagging her finger. "There's something you've gotta do for me first."
"I'm listening."
"We're going to have to make a stop in Crete and visit the Labyrinth of Messara."
"Whatever for?" Crystal asked.
"There's an artifact in there that I require. It's of the utmost importance to my family."
Ren shrugged. "Messara? It's nothing but an old quarry."
"So they want you to believe," Melody said with a wink. "That's where the Minotaur roamed and ate the virgins of Athens."
"It's just a myth," said Ren.
Melody also shrugged, but it was a defiant one. "Okay, so maybe the storytellers went a little overboard with the details. But there is something down there and its mine."
"By what right?" Crystal asked.
"Blood right," said Melody. "And I'm leaving it at that."
Ren scratched his head. "All right, all right. It's just a ferry ride away. But first, I need to see your skills for myself. Let's see you in a Duel."
"If you want," Melody said smiling. "I take it one of you guys is going to be my opponent?"
"So there you are," someone interrupted them. His voice was all too familiar, sending shivers down Crystal's spine.
"Amistad Clemente?" said Melody. "Wow! I'm a big fan."
Crystal cringed and turned around. Amistad wasn't the only one staring her down. Nick, Carter, Tyson, Patty, Jeannie, even Mario were all standing behind him with stern looks on their faces.
"Amistad! Guys!" she said nervously.
"I suppose you found that very funny?" said Carter.
"Bathroom break, my ass," said Patty. "You got a lot of nerve ditching us on the flight, little lady."
Jeannie could no longer contain her excitement and jumped out of the group to hug Crystal. "We were worried those hooded goons got you," she said, bursting into tears. "What's wrong, Crystal. Don't you like us anymore?"
"No, no, no!" said Crystal, drying her tears with her thumbs. She kissed her forehead. "I love you guys. Every single one of you. It's just that…something came up."
"Would it have to do with the big golden dragon that was flying around the harbor earlier today?" Nick asked.
"Wow, even you guys have seen him," said Ren. "Those soldiers have a lot on their plates today."
"It has to do with him and more," Crystal answered. "There's a lot going on and it's connected to Yuri."
"Not this again!" said Mario. "That guy is dead! What part of that don't you understand?"
Crystal glared at him with a fiery fury that lit up her eyes. Her cheeks blushed into an angry shade of pink. "After last night, I'm sure you would understand. Things aren't what they seem."
"You mean there's a way to find Yuri after all?" Tyson asked. "Cuz if there is, I'm game."
"So long as we don't run into PaniK again, I don't care," said Patty. "What do we have to do Crystal?"
"Cazzo!" Mario cursed. "So let me get this straight? We remain in a country where assassins are chasing us, and we're agreeing to stay longer? Does that make any sense to anyone?"
"Assassins?" said Melody. "Looks like you guys have had a rough time here in Greece."
Mario's eyes widened at the sight of her. He made a flirty wolf whistle. "Ciao bella!" he said.
"Uh-huh, right," Melody said awkwardly.
Ssssss! Rinyan hissed in disapproval. The hairs going down the back raised from his displeasure.
Carter stepped forward shyly. "Am I correct in assuming that you were about to have a Duel, miss?"
"Melody," the girl said introducing herself to him. "And yes. However, I don't have an opponent. We were just about to arrange that until you guys showed up."
Amistad boldly took two steps next to Crystal. "I'll fight you," he said. "After all the hell I've been through last night. I sure could use a Duel to unwind."
Melody approved of this. "Sure. I'm looking forward to facing the champion of Spain. Come on, I know a great place for us to have our match."
Melody opened her backpack so Rinyan could hide inside of it. She slung it over her shoulder and led her friends to a building where they went all the way to the roof. Melody made a mighty bound to the next one surprising all of them with her athletics. Rinyan crawled out of her backpack and perched itself on Melody's shoulder.
"DUEL!" the two players shouted.
"As the champion, why don't you start first?" said Melody.
"Very well, I shall," said Amistad. "Draw! Hmm, not bad," he said when he saw the good hand he had drawn. But he had to be careful. Ren boasted the Melody was a very skilled player. She could have something up her sleeve, considering she offered him to go first.
"I summon Noble Knight Bedwyr in attack mode!" (ATK/1600 DEF/1500 LV 4). His Duel Disk projected a tall, dashing warrior in plate of shiny steel trimmed in gold with a torn red cape around his neck. His hair was short cut and bleach white. He was floating over the gap between the two buildings where they played.
Amistad was pleased to see his knights in action again after so many months. He contained his excitement and continued with his turn.
"I activate my monster's effect," Amistad announced over the howling wind. "When Normal Summoned or Special Summoned: I can send a Noble Arms Equip Spell from my deck to the Graveyard. I set a card face-down. And I will play these two cards. First, the Spell Card, known as Gold Sarcophagus!"
The sarcophagus for which the card was named for, rose out of the ground. The lid slid open slowly, allowing Amistad to put a card into it. The card would be banished for the next two of his turns. And the card he chose was Merlin.
"And secondly, the Field Spell, Noble Knights of the Round Table. It has a variety of effects to use, depending on the number of Noble Knights with different names in my Graveyard. I have none, so you have nothing to worry about for now."
A white-stone table rose from behind Amistad. Twelve empty seats circled around it.
"It's your move!" he called out.
"With pleasure," said Melody. "I draw!"
Meow! Meow! Rinyan said happily.
Melody scratched the bottom of his neck. "Yeah, I know. Good cards. Okay, hotshot. First off, I'm summoning the Agent of Mystery-Earth!"
She summoned an angelic fairy whose body was cloudy white. The wings, stretching twenty-five feet long had a green color on the top but morphed into a dark blue as it reached the tips of the feathers. She was adorned with gold jewelry crusted in sapphires and wielded a staff with a globe on the top.
The Agent of Mystery-Earth
ATK/1000 DEF/800
LV 2
"When she's summoned," Melody continued, "I can add an Agent monster from my deck to my hand. And I chose The Agent of Force-Mars. Now, I play the Field Spell, Sanctuary in the Sky!"
Bells rang across the skies over Athens. The clouds seemed to disperse as a heavenly choir sang for the arrival of a floating city in the sky. It descended lower and lower until it came into full view above the Acropolis. The warm, heavenly light that shined from it, seemed to bathe the ruins from the fell shadows that enveloped it during the Duel last night.
"And finally, I place a card face down and activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. What it does, you will see in due time."
"Oh really?" said Amistad. "I take it that's the end of your turn?"
"It is," Melody said brimming with confidence. "Your move. Champ."
"Marone!" Mario rudely commented with a devious chuckle. "Amistad's got knights in shining armor, and the best this little girl can do is summon a cute fairy and a flying city. I think I know who the victor of this match is going to be."
Patty gave an impatient roll of her eyes all the while shaking her head. If she had a penny for every time she heard a Duelist underestimate their opponent, she'd have bought Phobos Corp years ago. "Don't count your chickens yet," she said coming to Melody's defense. "This girl isn't top-ranked for nothing."
"Top-ranked?" sniggered Mario. "If she's the best Greece has to offer, I'd hate to see their worst."
"Well, I think she's gonna kick butt!" Jeannie snapped back at him.
"Whatever you say precious," said Mario.
"No my sister's right," Nick said, crossing his arms. "Isn't she one of those Terminals?"
Crystal sniggered at his mispronunciation of Melody's people.
Amistad would have liked to have Mario's foolhardiness. There really was no threat on Melody's side of the field. All the while, he took Patty's words into consideration. He had no idea what her two spell cards did, and she had a face-down card. He thought to play it safe for now and use his best monsters for when he needed them most.
"I'll attack your Agent of Mystery with my Noble Knight!" Amistad commanded his knight to charge. He drew his sword and slashed the Agent across the chest. She gave a squeal and shattered into pieces.
Melody grinned.
"Oy! Check your Life Point meter!" Mario shouted foully. "Amistad's Noble Knight won the round. You should'a lost 600 points of damage. Or are you telling me the Duel Disks in Greece suck, too?"
"You have a very big mouth," said Melody. "As for my Life Point meter; nothing's wrong with it. You see that?" She pointed to the Sanctuary in the Sky. "When my fairies battle, and lose, I take no battle damage."
"Wow," said Tyson. "No wonder she wasn't too protective of her Agent of Mystery. No battle damage as a result of battle with her fairy monsters."
Patty laughed and looked at Mario. "Not so weak now, are they?"
"Bah, battle damage can be negated every now and then," said Mario, too proud to be proven wrong, especially so early in the match. He scratched his greasy, curly hair, waiting for Amistad to make a move. But he grinned remembering the Gold Sarcophagus he played.
"That card Amistad is holding for later," he said. "I bet it's just what he needs to kick her Greek butt!"
"What's your deal?" said Carter. "You racist towards the Greeks or something?"
"Take it easy, man. It's nothing like that. I just hate fairy monsters. They're colorful, cute, and worthless. They're just for girls if you ask me. A real Duelist has dragons or big tough warriors like Amistad's Noble Knights. You'll see. Her fairies are no match for him."
Amistad continued with his turn. "I'll play the Card of Sanctity. Now we both draw until we have six cards in our hands."
"Thanks, I needed that," said Melody.
"I'll bet," said Amistad. "You're going to need every card you have to stand up against me. I play the Spell Card, Foolish Burial, and send a Noble Knight from my hand to the Graveyard."
The card Amistad discarded was Noble Knight Medraut. The knight suddenly appeared on one of the seats in the Round Table. Melody rubbed her chin, finding that quite clever in terms of design. Each knight that got sent to the Graveyard took his place at the Round Table. Using a touchscreen display on her Duel Disk, she researched the card. She smiled when she saw that the maximum amount of knights to be seated were twelve just like in the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
An interesting opponent, to say the least, she thought to herself. She remained quiet so as to let Amistad continue with his turn.
"I play Graceful Charity," he said, holding up the card to show her. "I draw three cards and discard two. And both of them are Noble Knights. Noble Knight Drystan and Noble Knight Gwalchavad."
The two Noble Knights appeared and took their seats at the Round Table. They were all handsome fellows who Melody found endearing. She was now more than eager to see what they could do.
"I set a card face-down. And I end my turn," said Amistad. "And in doing so, my Field Spell activates. Now that I have more than three Noble Knights seated at the table, I can send another Noble Knight to the Graveyard. Noble Knight Borz."
Borz appeared out of nowhere and took his seat next to Drystan. Now that the effect resolved, Melody could begin.
"Draw!" Melody cried out, feeling a tad infuriated by Mario's comments. Not that they would matter because she drew just the card she needed. "My Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen activates!" she cried out. There was a loud ping and a bright blue soundwave burst from under the card. "Once per turn, if I have no monsters on the field; I can special summon one Fairy monster from my hand."
"Oooo!" hooted Mario. "Another pussy fairy monster. This outta be rich."
Melody smirked and slapped the card on her Duel Disk. Behind her in the distance, the Parthenon shot a beam of light into the Sanctuary in the Sky. The door to the main entrance of the flying city opened.
A towering woman dressed in a glittering white gown and armored in silver and gold walked out of the doorways and flew down next to Melody. The woman was equipped with an exquisitely crafted spear and a large, round shield made of platinum like her armor and rimmed with engraved gold. Her silvery-purple hair flowed behind her majestically. Upon her beautiful face, pale-blue eyes gazed on her unworthy foe that was the Noble Knight her opponent had on the field.
"What is that?" said Amistad. "I've never seen that card before!"
Melody puffed out her chest proudly. "This lovely monster is known as Athena."
"Athena?" said Jeannie. "You mean the Greek Goddess Athena?"
"That's right," Melody said with a nod of her head, no doubt proud of the monster she summoned. Athena stood majestically beside Melody with the Parthenon looking beautiful behind her. Rays of the sun shined down on the ruins from an opening in the blackening skies.
"Impressive monster Melody," said Ren. "My compliments."
"You should be impressed," said Melody. "Athena was only given to the top three Duelists in all of Greece. Which, I am one of by the way. This card is so rare, it should be an honor just to even look at her."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Mario. "She's just another pretty-looking fairy. No big deal."
"Uh, Mario," Tyson said backing up. "You might want to have a look at her stats."
Athena
ATK/2600 DEF/800
LV 7
"Marone!" he said. "Okay, I've gotta admit that's impressive."
Wasting no time, Amistad activated his Trap Card. "As beautiful as she is, Melody, I fear she won't be staying for long. I use the Trap Card, Compulsory Evacuation Device! This will send your monster back to your hand."
"Don't think so," said Melody. "I'll counter it with a little Solemn Judgement. It may cost me half of my Life Points to use, but it will negate the activation of your Trap Card and destroy it. Sorry, Amistad. Athena's not going anywhere."
"Mierda!" Amistad cursed.
Athena was ordered to attack. She spun her spear and charged for the Noble Knight. She jabbed the spear into his thick metal chestplate with enough force to knock him back. He grunted and shattered like glass.
"Damn!" said Patty. "Look at that damage."
Melody-4000 LP
Amistad-7000 LP
"Come on, Amistad!" shouted Mario. "You're making me look bad!"
"You've done that yourself," Amistad said, glaring back at him. "You're the fool who underestimated her. Hell, I did, too. But the kid gloves come off, Melody."
"Then show me what you got!" said Melody. "I place two cards face-down. I end my turn. You think you have what it takes to take down my Athena!"
"I'll beat her alright!" said Amistad. "Draw! Now that it's the second standby phase since the activation of my Gold Sarcophagus, Merlin; the card I put away, comes to my hand. Now, I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards from my deck. Now my trap card activates. Ultimate Offering. With this card, I can make as many Summons as I want so long as I pay 500 of my Life Points. I pay 500 to summon Noble Knight Peredur! (ATK/1900 DEF/300) "And finally, I will pay another 500 to play Merlin!"
A circle of arcane design spun from under Amistad's feet. It grew larger until it enveloped the whole field.
A beam of light shot down from the clouds and materialized the great wizard of legend.
Merlin had arrived. For a man over a thousand years old, he looked quite formidable and intimidating. His beard of silvery hair when down to his knees and the hair on his head flowed below his shoulder. He wore an arcane robe of fuchsia and gold. A gold circlet went around his brow and he carried a long staff with a glowing blue orb at the top shielded by an arch. A red dragon hatchling was perched on his shoulder as a familiar.
The Noble Knights of the Round Table bowed their heads in respect. But Merlin did not grace the field for long; for Amistad would tribute him for the summoning of someone much greater. Merlin raised his staff and slammed it down on the ground. He disappeared and took the form of a portal from which emerged the leader of the Noble Knights.
A powerful young man in white-gold armor trimmed in white fur and pants of royal red bloused into gold-trimmed brown leather boots walked out of it. His spiked-brown hair seemed resilient to the stormy winds of Athens.
Noble Knight Artorigus
ATK/1800 DEF/1800
LV 4
The Knights stood up from their seats and bowed as their leader had finally appeared. Leader yes, but he was no king fit to rule them just yet. Amistad would make sure he would become the King needed to lead his knights to victory against Melody and her formidable force of fairies.
He opened the Overlay Network and used the souls of Artorigus and Peredur to Xyz Summon the king.
"Behold the Lord and Master of the Noble Knights of the Round Table!" Amistad shouted. "Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights!"
Artorigus' armor grew two-fold and was patterned in glowing neon blue as was his sword. A golden crown adorned his head.
Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights
ATK/2000 DEF/2000
Rank 4
"Now we're talking!" said Mario. "See! I told you Amistad would turn things around."
"Their Life Points are pretty close," said Patty. "But the way these two play, it's anybody's game now."
Jeannie clasped her hands together in excitement. "Yeah, but Melody's Athena is much stronger than Artorigus. She can still beat him."
Or so she thought. Now Artorigus' effect activated. Once he was summoned, he could be equipped with every Noble Arms card in Amistad's Graveyard. He only had one, but it was just the one needed. Noble Arms – Caliburn!
The sword rose out of the ground rippling as though the stone was turned to water. Artorigus picked it up and held it proudly. His ATK raised by 500. It was still short of Athena's ATK, but Amistad was not through yet.
He equipped Artorigus with another Noble Arms card. Noble Arms – Gallatin. Artorigus used his free hand to grasp it. The sword increased his ATK by 1000. Now he was at a mighty 3500 ATK. And he still had one more card to play.
"The last card in my hand is Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms. And I will use her as an equip-spell card for Artorigus.
A woman materialized beside the towering King of the Noble Knights. On her head was a crown of gold plumed with pink and burgundy feathers. She was clad in a white-pink gown with a violet-red sash. Her hair, light brown in color, went down past her back in a long braid.
Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms
ATK/300 DEF/300
LV 2
Gwenhwyfar locked her hands in prayer, blessing Artorigus with 300 extra ATK. When the Duel Disks displayed his ATK points beside the king, Amistad's friends broke out in cries of shock and amazement.
"3800 attack points!" said Crystal.
"See? What did I tell you?" sneered Mario. "Melody and her fairies don't stand a chance."
"Artorigus attack and destroy Athena!" Amistad commanded.
Artorigus grunted and charged towards the goddess. Both his swords flashed like fire when touched by the rays of the sun. He sprinted over the gap between the two buildings raising his sword, ready to cut Athena down with a powerful horse cut. Athena stood her ground, raising her staff in defense.
The sound of steel meeting platinum rang across the district. Artorigus pushed his swords down with all his might, grunting like an angry beast while Athena struggled to keep the blades from cutting her down. Their armor jingled and clinked as they vied for supremacy and their magical weapons ground against one another and groaned from the intense pressure.
"Stop struggling, bitch!" Mario said to Athena. "You're going to lose this fight, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Don't be so sure of that!" said Melody. "I've activated my Trap Card! Waboku!"
"No!" shouted Amistad.
"Phew," Crystal placed her hand on her chest in relief. "That card not only reduces all damage to 0, but it saves Athena, too."
Athena mustered all her strength and took a step forward, slightly pushing Artorigus back. "YAH!" she shouted, finally knocking him back to Amistad's building.
Tyson rubbed his hands. Jeannie clapped her hands beside him while skipping up and down. "Aight," Tyson said. "This is getting good!"
Melody-4000 LP
Amistad-6000 LP
"You're good, Melody," Amistad complimented. "I must say I haven't had this much fun in a long time."
"Likewise," said Melody. "Now, it's my turn. I will also use a Graceful Charity to draw three cards. And discard two. Then, I will summon Warrior of Zera to the field. But he will not be staying around long; for I shall sacrifice him to summon Archlord Zerato!"
And so the lowly warrior him Melody had summoned earlier, was formed into a stream of light. He was sucked into the Sanctuary in the Sky and was no more. But, he was not gone; for he was acquiring a new power within the halls of the holy city above the Parthenon. The golden bells in the tower rang loudly to announce the coming of a new angel. The towering doors opened releasing a jet of light that shot back to their playing field. The light slammed on the ground beside Melody. As it subsided, her opponent and his friends began to see the silhouette of the creature she had summoned.
When the light dispersed, it revealed a giant of an angel whose skin was colored lavender and its wings a sky-green with a tinge of gold. He wore a helmet crowned with two long red horns. Beneath the helmet, he wore a mask that covered all but the milky eyes on his face. The mask doubled as a cape that split into two parts. They were thin and tinged to bright orange as they neared the bottom. Around his waist, he wore a long purple skirt. Bluish-green armbands and sandals completed his look.
The angel reached for the heavens and he was blessed with a holy sword of lightforged steel.
Archlord Zerato
ATK/2800 DEF/2300
LV 8
Once he came out on the field, Melody activated Athena's effect. When a Fairy was summoned, she dealt 600 points of damage to her opponent's Life Points. Athena held up her staff and blasted Amistad with a silvery fireball. When Athena's skill was resolved, it was time for Zerato to ravish the field with a devastating effect. With the Sanctuary in the Sky in play, Archlord Zerato's ability could activate so long as Melody could pay the price of one Light monster from her hand to the Graveyard. The fallen monster's spirit shot from the grave in a brilliant streak of light. It merged into the blade of the sword, causing it glow as bright as the sun.
Archlord Zerato gave a mighty slash of his sword and used his ability to destroy every monster Amistad had on the field. Amistad was wide open for an attack. While nervous, his friends were sure it was far from over, because even with the combined attack of the two monsters, Amistad would still have 700 Life Points left. It was not enough to hold out another powerful attack, but it still gave him the chance to do something; perhaps even change the tide of the game in his favor.
"I activate the effect of my Gwenhwyfar! When she's equipped to a Light monster, she will take the hit of your Archlord Zerato's effect and Artorigus remains safe!"
"Mario," Patty said with a shiver. Amistad got lucky. "That doesn't look like a wussy fairy to me."
"Hell no it doesn't," he commented, unable to keep his eyes off the angel Melody summoned. For him, admitting that he was wrong was a very difficult thing to do. He was a loudmouth and proud of it, not fearing to speak his mind or caring what came out of it. He felt as though a thousand of Melody's angels swooped down and stabbed him in the gut.
But even though she had two powerful monsters out, Melody was devastated. Even with Gwenhwyfar gone, Artorigus was the strongest monster on the field. She was either going to lose Zerato or her beloved Athena.
Amistad gave a prayer and drew. "Melody," said Amistad. "You've played well. But now it's time to end this. Using the effect of my field spell, I send Noble Knight Eachtar to the Graveyard. Then, I send Artorigus to the graveyard to Special Summon Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn from my hand.
Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn
ATK/2000 DEF/800
LV 5
"Next I will remove two Noble Knights from play to Special Summon Noble Knight Eachtar from the Graveyard."
Noble Knight Eachtar
ATK/1600 DEF/2000
LV 5
"And now, I will Overlay my two knights to Xyz Summon, Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus!"
Artorigus returned, this time much grander than before in bright-white armor and gold with neon blue patterns. He seemed god-like in appearance, radiating a bright blue aura.
Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus
ATK/2200 DEF/2200
"From my Graveyard!" Amistad continued. "I will banish Merlin from play to Synchro Summon Ignoble Knight of High Laundsallyn!"
The black knight rose out of the portal on the ground formed by the Overlay Network. He had a sinister sneer on his face. His hair, wild and shadowy waved in the wind. His armor was jet-black and outlined with red neon patterns. A cape that was like shadow made into silk, and ten times bigger than he was, flowed behind him. His eyes were burning hellish red from the envy towards Artorigus the One-True-King.
Ignoble Knight of High Landsallyn
ATK/2100 DEF/900
The monsters were set. Now it was time for the magical abilities to begin their chaos. "And lastly, for my Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus, I will equip him with the Noble Arms cards in my Graveyard. Noble Arms Gallatin and Caliburn. His ATK is now boosted to 3700! But I am not through yet! For I will reveal my face-down card. The legendary Noble Arms – Excaliburn!"
Another weapon rose out the ground, rippling like water. Artorigus picked it up after sheathing both his Noble Arms weapons on his back.
"The mighty Excaliburn will prevent my Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus from being destroyed by your monsters effects. Lastly, I will bring the lovely Gwenhwyfar from the Graveyard and equip her to him. Gwenhwyfar boosts his ATK to 4000!"
Melody was at a loss for words. If there was one thing she hated, it was seeing Athena getting destroyed so easily. And she would not go down in battle, for Amistad removed an Xyz Material from Artorigus. He leaped forward and slashed her across the chest with his blade. She screamed and shattered to pieces.
"NO!" shouted Melody.
Then, Artorigus attacked Archlord Zerato. The angel bellowed in agony and then he, too, shattered into a thousand pieces. Melody's Life Points were safe due to Sanctuary in the Sky, but Landsallyn was more than eager to begin the next phase of the attack. He drew his overly-designed fantasy blades and charged toward Melody with a mighty bound. He formed a cross slash and her Life Points fell to 1900.
She had nothing now. Her field was empty. The cards in her hands were few. Mario couldn't help but laugh at Melody's misfortune. "See! See! I told you! Her fairies were no match for the power of the Noble Knights. Look at the field you guys! She has nothing! And Amistad has two Noble Knights. One of them an unbeatable warrior with 4000 ATK and cannot be targeted by effects. Melody's finished! I told you! I told you! I told you!"
"You played a good game, Melody," Amistad said, feeling powerful. "I hate to break it to you, but I think you should surrender at this point."
"Yeah, right!" Melody snapped.
Meow! Meow! Went Rinyan. Ssss!
"I draw!" Melody shouted. "I will banish The Agent of Judgement – Saturn to Special Summon Master Hyperion!"
A ring of flames surrounded Melody. They rose into the air and formed a giant being the size of the very cosmos, but he reduced his size to stand over all of Athens instead. His robes were masterful in design and his ATK points started making Amistad sweat.
Master Hyperion
ATK/2700 DEF/2100
LV 8
"Like your Artorigus, my Master Hyperion has some pretty devastating abilities. First, I can remove a Fairy from the game in my Graveyard to destroy one card on the field. I choose your Landsyllan!"
Master Hyperion held his hands together and formed a fiery ball that was like a miniature sun. He tossed it at Landsyllan and obliterated him, turning the knight to ashes.
"Thanks to my Sanctuary in the Sky, I can use this effect again. And I will destroy your Noble – Arms Gallatin!"
With the destruction of his sword, Artorigus lost his 1000 point boost. Now he was at 3000, still stronger than Master Hyperion.
"Lastly," Melody said, "I will summon The Agent of Miracles – Jupiter! Using his effect, I will remove The Agent of Mystery – Earth from play to increase the ATK of Master Hyperion by 800 points, raising his ATK to 3500! And thanks to Sanctuary in the Sky, his secondary effect comes to play. I discard The Agent of Force – Mars which will allow me to Special Summon a Fairy monster I banished from the game."
"I can't be!" said Amistad. "It's over!"
"Return to the field, Athena!" Melody shouted, calling back her favorite monster. The goddess was back with a vengeance. She looked primed and ready for a fight. Artorigus was in her sights. She snarled furiously, not too happy that she was removed from the field by his effect earlier.
"Now, using my Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen I will use the last card in my hand. Power Angel Valkyria!" (ATK/1800 DEF/1050).
Indeed it was over for Amistad. Artotigus brought his sword to his heart and waited for the final blow, as did Amistad. The angels Melody summoned worked together to take him down at last. The Duel was finally over.
Once they gathered themselves, they met in the alleyway below.
"You were great, Melody," said Amistad.
"You did an amazing job, too," she replied. Riyan meowed in agreement.
Crystal placed a comforting hand on Amistad's shoulder. "You both did phenomenally! There is nothing to be upset about."
"Indeed," said Ren. "Melody, welcome to the team."
"Don't welcome me just yet," she said sharply. "Remember, I have business in Crete."
"Of course," said Ren. "We'll head there immediately."
"Crete?" Mario whined. "I thought we wanted to get out of the country."
Crystal shook her head, disappointing him. "Nope. There is still much to be done here before we find ourselves our next Duelist. He's in Peru, correct?"
"That's right," said Ren.
"Now, Peru!" Mario slapped his hand over his eyes. "Marone! I'm never getting home."
Patty scoffed and crossed her arms. "You don't have to come, you know. You could always book a flight back home."
"Yeah, well, my flight has long since left this country, sweetcakes. And I fear the only one with the pocket to get me from here to there on a fair fare is this asshole."
Amistad grinned. "Happy to be of service," he said casually.
Mario sighed heavily. "So I guess I'm stuck with you guys for a while."
Tyson put a hand on his shoulder to ease his suffering. "Ey man, welcome to the group."
Amistad then grabbed Crystal and held her close. "Are you going to run away from me again?" he purred. His face leaning close to hers.
"I can do what I want?" Crystal replied with a defiant tease. "Did you get mad?"
"Oh, I was mad alright?" Amistad snarled playfully.
"What are you going to do about it?" Crystal whispered and then she and Amistad's lips were locked in a passionate kiss. His hands slid up and down Crystal's buttocks.
"Aw, baby, I was so worried about you," Amistad mumbled through their embrace.
"Ahem," said Nick. "I'm just gonna…"
"Yeah me, too," said Carter. "Oh look! Gyros!"
Mario leaned close to Melody. "Look uh…I know it was a little rough back there in the Duel. So why don't you and I head to the spa and uh…"
"Forget it," Melody walking away.
Mario called after her. "Don't worry, babe! We'll think of something else then."
Melody turned to look at her friends. "You guys head for the port. I'm going to say goodbye to my grandparents."
"Sure thing," said Amistad. "I'll text you the time and place."
"Book us something nice why don't you!" said Melody. "I was stuck on an old barge last time. Unless you want me spewing moussaka all over the floor and your shiny shoes, get a decent company."
"You girls are killing my wallet," said Amistad. "But if that's what you want. So be it."
"Oh, this is just peachy!" Mario moaned, holding up his arms while strolling away. "All over the globe and being chased by bad guys. What a marvelous quest you've put us on."